LudumData

Journey to the Centre of the Ocean by GoogleFrog

[raw]
made by GoogleFrog for Ludum Dare 57 (JAM)

We're going for a drive. Down, down, down. Nothing will stop us. Water? There's air in the car, just don't open the windows. We'll just keep going down until we find the bottom or run out of oxygen.

screenshot_1.png

Drive into the depths of the sea while collecting treasure. Upgrade your car. See how deep you can go.

Buy larger oxygen tanks to dive deeper (or use portals).

Controls

  • A and D to accelerate and brake
  • W and S to rotate the car
  • Space or Enter to use boost
  • R to respawn
  • P to pause
  • Use the mouse to select upgrades

Arrow keys can be used instead of WSAD.

both.png

Link https://github.com/NeptunianAxolotl/LD57/releases/download/Jam1.0/Journey.to.the.Centre.of.the.Ocean-win.zip
Link https://github.com/NeptunianAxolotl/LD57/releases/download/Jam1.0/Journey.to.the.Centre.of.the.Ocean.love
Link https://github.com/NeptunianAxolotl/LD57/archive/refs/tags/Jam1.0.zip
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/journey-to-the-centre-of-the-ocean

Ratings

Overall 392th 3.621⭐ 35🧑‍⚖️
Fun 196th 3.742⭐ 35🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 685th 2.848⭐ 35🧑‍⚖️
Theme 232th 4⭐ 35🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 690th 3⭐ 34🧑‍⚖️
Audio 489th 2.955⭐ 35🧑‍⚖️
Humor 497th 2.661⭐ 33🧑‍⚖️
Mood 637th 3.227⭐ 35🧑‍⚖️
Given 29🗳️ 43🗨️

Feedback

Aynu
08. Apr 2025 · 06:54 UTC
Nice game!! Enjoyed it!!
infecsean
08. Apr 2025 · 06:55 UTC
WHATTT IS THIS THIS IS SO GOOD. I legit had to stop myself from playing cus I needed to get more karma but omg great job I would buy this.
basekeet
08. Apr 2025 · 06:56 UTC
Took me back to school days playing Hill Climb Racing with friends all day!

Feels like two-button controls would've worked better — I kept trying to turn the car with A/D, but here it's W/S.
The music didn’t quite fit, but overall it's a fun game!
PopDaddyGames
08. Apr 2025 · 07:08 UTC
I made it around 4600m (or so) deep.

This game is absolutely lovely!

I love your replayability and continuing upgrade system. The first few seconds were not that convincing but the more I played the more engaging it becomes!

This is an amazing gamejam entry! 5/5!

![screenshot_20250408_000716.png](///raw/94d/71/z/6b432.png)
no_firing
08. Apr 2025 · 07:42 UTC
Reminded me of GRAVITY from "Symbian" time :)
Very good job!

I couldn't go deeper :(

5/5
![Screenshot 2025-04-08 124130.png](///raw/a2b/36/z/6b450.png)
BatTheCat
08. Apr 2025 · 13:51 UTC
very complete game system, with many variables and options for things to customize and create strategies. very fun
Michal Babka
08. Apr 2025 · 15:23 UTC
Love the hill climb racing vibes. Great game!
LDJam user 0
08. Apr 2025 · 15:30 UTC
Very cleverly combining proven game concepts into one tight package, it works really well!
However, I was extremely distracted by the mismatch of the game itself, and the soundtrack. After muting the game and putting on a more fitting song myself in the background, the game was nice to play! Good job!
JustusPan
08. Apr 2025 · 15:42 UTC
About 15 years ago I remember playing a little motocross game with friends at that time, this game brought back my memories, it really was a very happy experience. Well done!
rack47
09. Apr 2025 · 02:21 UTC
I really like the upgrade system and how you can get further each time. The controls would have felt better to me if it was W and S to drive and A and D to turn. Overall great job!
Wolfier
09. Apr 2025 · 02:52 UTC
I really like the idea that just because something is more expensive doesn't necessarily mean its better at this specific time. Really makes you think about your car build
apt_prose7
09. Apr 2025 · 02:55 UTC
I liked that the game is fun, but otherwise it looks too simple.
🎤 GoogleFrog
09. Apr 2025 · 02:55 UTC
@rack47 I think you may be right! Although it might also depend a little on the type of driving you are doing at the time. I think we started out with a slightly different game where W/S made more sense as pitch controls, and discussed whether to swap them (because some playtesters played flight sims). But by the time the game approached its final form we had forgotten to reassess whether these are the best controls.
Wuk
09. Apr 2025 · 10:03 UTC
Nice game, with great mechanics. Controls were a bit hard to get used to, but I figured it out. I had to mute the music though - to me it didn't fit the game. But everything else was nice!
MrManGuy
09. Apr 2025 · 15:13 UTC
Hill Climb Racing! I love the roguelite elements and the ability to just eek out a bit more distance everything run, great game!
LDJam user 234769
09. Apr 2025 · 16:06 UTC
This made me so nostalgic :sob:
Great game, so many features!! (I didn't expect so many)
I've just played for like 40 minutes and I could've played more if I had more time :sob: which is quite a lot for a jam game :v:
Also loved the music!!! super chill, contrasts with the game category, but also reminds you that you're in the sea somehow?
Anyway, thanks for the game! :star2:
Planetary
09. Apr 2025 · 17:03 UTC
Wow, this game is nice! I like it, and I think that I reached the bottom of the level, since my oxygen didn't drop for that deep level. Congratulations!
milq
10. Apr 2025 · 15:53 UTC
Very original take on the hill climbing genre! And it fits the game jam theme perfectly! The addition of upgrades for the vehicle adds a great layer of progression that keeps me on. For me, controlling the car might feel a bit frustrating at beginning, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes seriously addictive. Great game!
Mamboman
10. Apr 2025 · 20:32 UTC
Super addictive!
Verbante
11. Apr 2025 · 11:22 UTC
One of the best games I played this jam! And music was very cool :))) So dramatic for this kind of game, lot's of points to mood and audio. Good job!
The Stewarts
13. Apr 2025 · 12:31 UTC
Took me a few moments to get the hang of the controls, but absolutely loved this! Great game loop and felt really packed out for a game jam game :)
YT-TY
14. Apr 2025 · 13:48 UTC
Great idea! It takes some skill to complete this game.
oliver_day
15. Apr 2025 · 10:12 UTC
You manged to get a entire leveling system working in 3 days that's impressive. I liked the graphics overall but they felt a bit static. Ran into a thing where I upgraded the car and overpowered it without adding anything else (i think) and it just spun in the water which was a bit weird but part of the challenge.
Jorgen
22. Apr 2025 · 01:58 UTC
Was pretty challenging but fun! Loved the amount of upgrades implemented.
benjamm
22. Apr 2025 · 07:02 UTC
This is a very fun game. My only criticism is the controls, but it adds to learning and getting better at the game. I can't really pinpoint what it is, but this game kinda has a nostalgia factor to it. Overall, a fun game and impressively done in such a short period of time!